The Question
by Ichihime Kurosaki
Summary: The question all men dread in a relationship. And not popping the question either. He always knew that she would ask that question. He had imagined it in the beginning but recently the thought of it kept popping up. He never wanted this "fear" to come true, but now it was here and had completely caught him off guard. Oh, how the mighty have fallen… READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! :)


**The Question**

**Author's Note:** Here's just another one-shot crack fic. from yours truly. I'll be updating **_Remembrance_** and **_Losing Love_** and **_Pushing_**_**Boundaries**_ next week. I have all next week to update; because after that I'll be on vacation for another week then school starts for me. And I can already tell that this semester will be a pain in my butt since my professors are something else and hate students. Oh well, I guess, it's just a part of the college scene…

So this is fluffy and cute, crack one-shot with a slight twist on a question that gets men in trouble all over the place. XD

Rated **T** for a few curse words.

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo. I also don't own Temple Run 2, Apple iPhones, and any other name brand objects named in this story. :)

_Read, enjoy, and review!_

* * *

**Summary:** The question all men dread in a relationship… And no, I don't mean popping _the_ question either… He always, subconsciously, knew – somewhere in the far recesses of his mind is where the guess had been – that she would ask _that_ question. He had imagined it in the beginning but recently the thought of it kept popping up. He never wanted this "fear" to come true, but now it was here and had completely caught him off guard. The one word that shouldn't have been in the question – it could have been a great question had it not been for _that_ word. **_Fat_**… Tch… Oh, how the mighty have fallen…

* * *

**_~X~_**

* * *

Saturday night in the Kurosaki household was usually very calm. It was very quiet with the occasional outburst of laughter or giggle or _manly_ chuckle. There would be whispering among lovers as they cuddled on their king-sized bed "watching" TV or there would be conversation as they walked in the park at night. It was always peaceful and happy. While sometimes it may have been uneventful, it was just nice to be in each other's company. Tonight however, was not the case…

It had been an unusual Saturday from the start… Ichigo had been called into work and he was seldom called into the hospitals on weekends unless he was covering for another resident or there an emergency. Heck, Ichigo sometimes even took over the graveyard shift but that was a rarity seeing how if he was tired in the morning, he would be grumpy for the whole day and _nobody_ wanted that. So his name was hardly seen on the graveyard rotations chart… Anyway, he stayed for about two hours before his father told him that the rotation of shifts had been switched and somehow his name got thrown into the mix – then literally threw him out of his own office.

When Ichigo went home, he found his house crowded with unwanted guests who demanded the presence of him and his wife for dinner and bowling. They would have included drinks and clubbing but Ichigo wasn't having that with _his_ wife pregnant.

All he could think was, W. T. F?!

It wasn't Friday. He understood their gatherings on Fridays or sometimes Sundays but everyone knew to leave Ichigo alone on Saturday. Hell, they knew better than to bother him period.

Sure he liked to go out with his friends, but for the past 7 months they knew better than to try and involve Ichigo and Orihime in their nightly outings. Yeah they'd sometimes go out during the day with their friends to maybe a movie or picnic or lunch. They went to the roller rink sometimes and even went to the beach, but they knew… They knew that, most of the time, Saturday was _his _day… His day to be with his wife and relax. And it wasn't like he was trying to keep his wife locked up inside the house. Or like he was being extremely possessive, because he's not – okay maybe just a little bit… or a lot, but after a long week of work and late nights at the hospital, he just wanted to shower her in his attention and keep her to himself.

Everyone dropped in to check on her and hang out with her while he was at work, being that she was a semi-stay-at-home wife and all. Was it really so selfish to want her for himself on the weekends. They still made it to important events like birthdays and monthly dinners at his dad's or their monthly get together with their friends… Even Tatsuki agreed that his reasoning was… well, reasonable!

So, now they want to just drop in and demand their company?! What the hell was their problem?!

Was it because Tatsuki and Chad were in Mexico for Chad's family reunion or was it because Renji, Rangiku, Rukia, and all the other annoying Soul Reapers decided to visit from Soul Society and it had been almost a year? It didn't matter because they'd be in Karakura for two weeks, so why the damn rush to go out? Tatsuki could only do so much from freaking Mexico! To them it had been all empty threats when Ichigo called his oldest friend and she cursed everyone out. They knew Orihime was 7 months pregnant! She needed rest. He couldn't stress that enough…

But then… oh, but then…

Orihime gave him the look.

_The_ look.

The look that no man, woman, or creature on Earth or in Soul Society – even Hueco Mundo – could reject. It didn't matter how strong the will power of that person was or how strict and intolerant they were, they would falter under the gaze of those eyes.

Ichigo knew that no matter how hard he tried not to crack under her look, that she'd win. He was – without a doubt – wrapped around her finger.

_"Can we please go Ichi?" Orihime begged with a pout prominent on her face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We never do anything on Saturdays!" she continued like a child._

_"Ichigo, how could you?" Rangiku gasped in mock shock. _

_Ichigo looked at his wife incredulously but then quickly averted from the hold of her eyes. Those large ashen grey eyes would be the end of him…_

_"What do you mean 'we don't do anything'? We went out just last weekend! You know what? I'll call Tatsuki and Karin! I'll do it," he threatened. Her eyes widened just a bit in alarm before she felt a nudge from behind her. Probably from Rukia or Rangiku meaning 'don't give in'. _

_Everyone knew that the other in their relationship was their weakness. She couldn't say no to him and vice-versa._

_"Ichigo-kun… please," she pleaded with her husband as she latched onto his arm._

_He turned his head to the side and let out a curt 'no'._

_"I promise I'll tell you when I get tired or if I don't feel good," she continued, knowing of just how much more protective he got since she became pregnant._

_She began to whimper and Ichigo became extremely alarmed when he felt her tears on his sleeve. Thus leading to him caving in and giving in to her whim…_

_Damn hormones and mood swings._

_He never stood a chance. _

Their little "spat", if you could even call it that, led to what was currently happening in the Kurosaki household…

Everyone had left the couple alone so they could relax and spend some time alone before later.

It was now 7:45 and they were supposed to meet everyone at a new sushi bar downtown in 30 minutes. Ichigo was already ready – dressed casually in black jeans with grey fades, a black V-neck long sleeve shirt, and black with grey Jordan's. He was now sitting in the living room, waiting for Orihime to finally decide what to wear. Playing on his iPhone, he didn't hear Orihime come but snapped his head up when he heard her sniffles.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he got up and rushed over to her side. She gave him a one over and felt the tears begin to flow more rapidly. He was wearing one of the V-necks she got him a few months ago with the sleeves pulled up about halfway to his elbow. The shirt was extremely tight and you could see his muscles ripple fluidly with every one of his movements. Black really was his color and to top it off he wore the new high tops and jeans he got for his birthday. His Armani Exchange watch sitting mockingly on his wrist and his hair defying gravity.

This was _Ichigo_ type casual: jeans, tight tee, watch, sneakers, and no hair combing. He wasn't even wearing cologne; all you could smell was his deodorant and natural scent combined. He didn't even try and looked damn good!

And here she was in a maternity black, Tribal-Print, Bandeau Maxi dress with sandals and her hair curled. She was using the perfume Ichigo had gotten her for Christmas last year – Dolce and Gabbana: The One – and was wearing next to no make-up. She kept it simple for jewelry; sporting only her wedding band, and Tracy Chevron gold earrings. Her real wedding ring and engagement ring fell into the crevice of her chest on a necklace… She looked great! She had that glow that very pregnant woman talked about going on and it only added to her natural beauty.

But now, as she compared herself to her overly handsome husband, she could only think that she looked like unwanted weight on the shoulders of a stud; a bachelor. He didn't look like a married man with a child on the way – even though his own wedding band begged to differ. He looked like a playboy ready to go flirt with any woman who threw herself his way. She just looked like a beach whale in her own opinion.

_'It's only hormones, Orihime. He loves you. He doesn't flirt and you look stunning,'_ she thought over and over like a broken mantra. But it only served for the tears to well up sooner and the tears to spill over faster as she thought about the last time they went out and how many women had given her envious, dirty looks when they saw her bump and Ichigo's arm around her. One of them even had the nerve the tell Ichigo to dump the _'trash' _– as she put it – and have some _'fun'_ with her. Another flirted openly with him at a café, thinking that she and Ichigo were siblings and _not_ a married couple of 5 years. Just his fat sister! Not his – his wife.

By this point Ichigo was doing anything and everything to try and get her attention or at least make her stop trying but the tears only came faster and faster until she broke out into a full sob.

"Orihime," he said softy for the nth time as he hooked a finger under her chin, making her look up at him. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Ichigo," she cried as she threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and rested his head on hers.

"Hime, I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong," he whispered.

She pulled back slightly.

"Ichi, I don't look fat right? I mean, you're not embarrassed to go out with a beach whale like me, right?" she ended in another wail, sounding absolutely miserable.

Ichigo went stiff in her arms and his eyes grew thrice in size.

_Shit_…

Orihime stopped crying, settling for a sniffle to look up at her husband. She tightened her arms around him to get his attention. Ichigo looked down and flinched at the harshness in Orihime's usually gentle eyes.

"Am I fat, Ichi-kun?" she reiterated.

"N- no, Hime, you're not," he said. _'Keep her happy. Happy wife; happy life. Unhappy wife; stone cold misery for the rest of my life.'_ He thought.

"Ichigo!" she yelled in her soft voice – what a freaking contradiction.

"Yes, honey?" he asked distantly, thinking back to when his dad told him the do's and don'ts of having a pregnant wife; he also thought of how he should have listened instead of playing Temple Run 2 on his iPhone.

"I knew it," she cried wrenching herself out of his arms and letting out a mortified wail. "You think I'm fat and you probably think that you could be out having the time of your life right now. You probably curse the day we got married and regret getting me pregnant!"

"Hime, no, you know I love you," he said and reached for her again. "Fat or not fat."

And then he saw a fire light in her eyes. Wrong words, wrong words, wrong words! How the hell was she switching mood so fast?!

"No! Hime, I didn't mean it like that; you're pregnant. Pregnant woman gain weight, but you'll lose it and you're still gorgeous. You're not fat; it's the baby," He quickly amended.

She crossed her arms over her protruding belly and started to cry again.

"I'm fat and ugly and my husband hates me!" she wailed.

Hate? Who said anything about hate?

Ichigo sighed and looked over at the clock. 8:02. Crap…

Orihime turned around to dramatically and gracefully retreat back up the stairs, but tripped and let out a scream. Ichigo, with his excellent reflexes, caught her and held her in his arms.

"As if you actually would have fallen with me standing right there," he whispered into the crook of her neck as he gently rocked her to and fro.

"I'm still mad at you," she hiccupped lightly from crying so much.

"Orihime, look at me," he said as he straightened to full height. She peeked at him from under her lashes and he smirked. This woman would be the death of him. Not Rukia with her Kidō. Not Tatsuki with her karate. Not Yoruichi with her strength and not Soi-Fon with her deadly stealth. This woman right here, in his arms. This woman: Orihime Kurosaki. With her gentle and loving ways. With her personality that melted the ice around his heart…

"Orihime, you're my wife. I could have cared less what you looked like on the outside because I love you for what's on the _inside_," he spoke softly. Again he saw a flame light in her eyes and chuckled.

"I'm not saying to let yourself go, Hime. Kami knows how I like 'em," he whispered as he playfully nipped her ear. "I take pride in the fact that a woman such as yourself loves somebody like me."

She blushed and looked up at him. He grinned boyishly at her when she smiled a tiny smile for him. He pecked her chastely on the lips and said," How about we stay home and go upstairs and -"

"No, we promised to meet everyone and we're already late, so we have to leave now. Not to mention," she said. "I'm still mad at you."

And with that she walked away from a dumbfounded Ichigo and went to the door.

"Come on, Ichi, let's go," she called as she walked out into the night.

Ichigo grabbed the keys to the Lexus and grumbled under his breath.

"Happy wife; happy life. Unhappy wife; stone cold misery for the rest of my damn life."

* * *

**_~X~_**

* * *

**Fin!**

**Mistakes will be fixed tomorrow. **

**_Their outfits are posted on Polyvore. The link is on my profile page._**** Oh! I know I didn't put it in the story, but the engagement and wedding rings that are Orihime's are different from her wedding ****_band_****. Her wedding band belongs to Ichigo's mother. Just another cute detail. :) **

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? **

**I.K.**


End file.
